Halfway to forever by Karen Kingsbury

Tanner's head was spinning. "You knew what?"
"When everyone was signing up to pray for her, I got in line
and signed up, too. 'Course I've been praying every day and stuff.
But this morning when I was praying I felt like the Lord touched
me on the shoulder. That ever happen to you, Dad?"
"Yeah ...sure."
"For a minute it was like He was sitting beside me, and you
know what He said?"
It took a while for Tanner to find his voice. The entire morning
had been nothing less miraculous than the parting of the Red
Sea. "What, buddy?"
"He told me Mom was awake and she was going to be fine."
"Is that right?" Tanner reached for jade's hand and held it
against his heart. "What else did He say?"
"He told me Mom was never in any danger."
"No?"
"No." Ty took a quick breath. "Because Jesus was holding her
in His arms the whole time."
There was a knock at the door and Hannah's breath caught in her ihioat. "She's here." Her voice rang
through the house. "Come on."
From different corners of the house, Matt and jenny bounded into the foyer. Matt took a single step
forward, grinned back at
330
them and then opened the door.
There stood Edna Parsons and Patsy Landers, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. And beside her, the
child whose face had haunted Hannah every day since she was taken from them. Their precious little
Grace.
"Mommy! Daddy! Jenny ...I'm home!" She squealed, hands clasped, eyes shining. Then she ran into their
arms and clung to the three of them. The locket on her neck bounced with every step. "I'm back. I'm back
forever and ever!"
There were murmurings of welcome home and declarations of love between the four of them, and after a
moment Hannah fell to her knees. There, with the rest of them gathered around, she held her youngest
daughter close to her heart. Tell me I'm not dreaming, God. Please...
So often after losing Tom and Alicia she had longed for one more day, one more chance to hold them or
talk to them or tell them she loved them. Then after losing Grace, she'd felt the same way, longing for the
chance to somehow, somewhere see her again.
But she had never dreamed of this.
Jenny and Matt dropped to their knees, and the four of them formed a huddle. Hannah could only imagine
the sacrifice it had taken for Patsy Landers to bring Grace back, to admit that this sweet child was better
off living with strangers who loved her than in a home where her birth mother might one day harm her
again.
From her place on the floor, Hannah locked eyes with Patsy Landers. Then silently, in a moment meant for
the two of them
alone, she muttered the only words she could think to say. "Thank you, Mrs. Landers. Thank you."
The older woman nodded, her cheeks wet, chin quivering. When she answered, it was loud enough for all
of them to hear. "Grace is home now." She bit her lip to keep from crying. "She has
333 a wonderful family and she has something else. Something she hasn't had since I took her from you."